10 Crossover Events In The Star Trek Universe (Pre-Star Trek Picard)

9. Thomas Riker, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

When: DS9: S3, Ep 9 ‘Defiant’

Deep Space Nine was the second spin off series from the original and remains arguably the best in terms of overall tone and storyline. It stepped away from Roddenberry’s idea of a utopian future and introduced real conflicts among the major players from week to week.

With the introduction of characters we were supposed to see as heroic and have them commit heinous acts, we were challenged to expand our view of what a TV hero or heroine should be.

Why It Was Great

Thomas Riker is not William T Riker. But, isn’t he? Created by a transporter accident, the character of Thomas Riker explores ‘there but for the grace of God go I’ through the lens of Trek. Having him appear in DS9, dressed in familiar red colours, immediately calls back to the good old days on the Enterprise... Right up to the point where he shoots Kira and steals the Defiant.

What we see in this episode is the gradual realisation that playing the hero versus committing the acts of necessary evil are two very different things, much as The Next Generation and DS9 are two very different beasts.

Although both O’Brien and Worf would establish themselves as main players on the space station, the image of loveable rogue Riker (be he Thomas or Will) realising that he isn’t a part of the world he is pretending to be showed us, perhaps for the first time, that while The Next Generation and DS9 may have the same ancestry, they are very, very different descendants.